harvey r



("No Model.)

H. R. T.- OOPFIN.

' TOP.

Patented July 2.4, 1894.

, W11 WESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'I-IARVEY R. T. COFFIN, OF GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK.

TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 523,513, dated July 24,1894.

Application filed May '7, 1894:- Serial No. 510,352- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY R. T. COFFIN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Glens Falls, in the countyof Warren and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tops, of which the following is so full, clear and exacta description as will enable others skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of myinvention, showing it put together for shipment. Fig. 2 is a section onthe line oc-a,'of- Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of my inventionshowing the same as it appears and operates as a top. Figs. 4:, 5, 6,7,8, 9, 10,11, 12, 13, 14:, and 15 show other forms in which the inventionmay be operated, as will be hereinafter described.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved and compact devicewhich may be used in the greatest variety of ways as an article ofpractical utility or source of amusement and wholesome recreation.

Another object of ,my invention is to provide a top which can be packedfor shipment in a compact form with all of the parts protected by thecasing in such a manner that none of the parts can be injured by roughhandling or varying degrees of temperature and humidity, and at the sametime making the casing a part of the invention which serves the doublepurpose of a packing casing and a part of the device itself.

The accompanying drawings show the device in the operative position, andin every figure, A designates a case which is virtually a cup having acentral opening a'through its bottom. On the outside of the bottom Iprovide a circular groove b, in which the top B may be spun whenit isused as atop. The upper outer periphery of the cup A is cut away at c toform a flanged and a shoulder e to support the cover E and hold itsecurely in position.

The opening a through the bottolnserves the double purpose of a seat forthe head h of the conical top B, and a receptacle and holder for thespindle C and the post D as will be hereinafter explained.

The conical top B consists of acone shaped each end.

cup provided with a rim f, and a series of V I provide a recess ordepressed ring all around the top to prevent the string 2', fromslipping oif whenit is being wound around the top be fore spinning itand it serves to hold the top in position on the top of the case afterit'has stopped spinning in the recess in the post D, as shown in Fig. 6.I

The grooves g, g, serve as a winding surface for the string a. Betweenthe rim f and the reduced end of the top, I make the top very thin as atj, to get the greater part-of the weight away from the center. Theinside of the apex of this conical top ends in a point,

designated by the letter 0, but the plane of the point 0, the conicaltop B would fly off from the spindle when spun on the spindle,

in accordance with the laws of physics.

The spindle C is reduced at both end portions and is provided with ashoulder k, at The reduced end designated by the letter Z, ismade in theshape of a projecting point, whereas the opposite end, designated by theletter m, is hollowed out at n. The end portion m is of a less diameterthan the end portion Z. The purpose of this difference is'to securevibration of the spindle when it is set up in position (as shown forinstance, in Fig. 4) for spinning the conical cup on the pointed end ofthe spindle.

If the spindle at m were made to fit the hole a in the case A, the topwould not stay on the spindle when spun, but it would fly off. Anotherreason for making the ends of different diameters is to secure a snugfit of the end Zin the hole in the cover when it is inserted as shown inFig. 5, which shows the cover in position as a spinning top.

In Fig. 6, I show how the top B stops after ICO it has been spun in therecess 3, in the open either the spindle C or the post D as shown in thevarious figures or the post D may be put into the hole and the end m ofthe spindle C may be inserted into the opening .9 in the post, D.

In Fig. 7, I show the top spinning in the recess s in the post D.

The top B may'be made of any suitable ma terial.

The case and cover may be made of any suitable material and I do notlimit myself to any material in the manufacture of the complete article.

The string used for spinning the top is designated by the letter i.

Having described the objects, and construction of my invention, I willnow proceed to describe its operation, as follows: First, after havingtied the knot in each end of the string, wind the string around the top,and hold the top as shown in Fig. 14:. Then give the string a gentledownward and outward pull, holding the spindle in the left hand and thetop will spin for many minutes on the spindle. When it is desired tospin the top as shown in Fig. 3, Wind the cord around it as before andplace the top in the position shown in Fig. 3, hold a pencil or spindlein the cup to steady it and pull out gently and rapidly on the free endof the string and the top will spin as shown in Fig. 3.

When it is desired to make the top spin on a string, fasten a softstring or piece of thread to something near the floor, then step back tothe free end of the string, and spin the top on the floor or table, thenmake a single loop in the string, slip it under the head of the top andup around the neck between the head and body portion of the top andraise up on the free end of the string and the top will sail the wholelength of the string.

To make the top turn over in mid-air, spin it on the table as shown inFig. 3, make a loop in a soft string large enough to go around a hensegg, put it under and around the spot where the top is spun, raise it upand take the top with it, and hold it till it turns over and unwinds andit will drop off onthe previously set spindle and spin on the spindle,as shown in Fig. 4...

The spindle is hollowed out at n to enable one skilled in the art tospin the top in this recess and the post is recessed at s for the samepurpose.

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent, and what, therefore, I claim,is-

1. The herein described conical top, having a rim at its open end andhaving a portion of its wall between the base and apex made of athickness less than the thickness of the wall of the top at the base andapex, substantially as described.

2. The herein described conical top having a head and a reduced groovedneck portion between the head and the main body portion of the top; incombination with a surface or rest for the rim of the top and aprojecting pin having a recess or cavity, the surrounding wall of whichprojects into and engages with the neck of the conical top and holds itafter it has been spun and has stopped spinning in the said recess,substantially as described.

3. A perforated case and a conical top in combination with anintermediate piece having dissimilar ends, one of which fits snugly in aperforation in the case, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 5th day of May, A. D. 1894.

HARVEY R T. COFFIN.

Witnesses:

Gno. C. COFFIN, OHAs. E. BARBER.

